Nicholas f



N. F.GLARKSON. NAPKIN HOLDER.

No. 563,566. Patented July 7, 1896.

' WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NICHOLAS F. CLARKSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

NAPKIN-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 563,566, dated July 7, 1896.

Application filed April 20, 1896. Serial No. 588,351. (No modeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS F. CLARK- SON, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Napkin-Holders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a napkin-holder capable of being worn with comfort and of being conveniently and expeditiously placed in position at the neck of the wearer, or' suspended from any convenient support, the napkin-holder comprising practically but two parts, between which the napkin is held, one of the parts being spring-controlled, and the spring is so placed as to hold the movable member or jaw firmly in contact with the napkin or in position to receive the napkin.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved napkin -holder, illustrating its application. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the same, the said section being taken at or near the center; and Fig. 3 is a back view of the holder.

In carrying out the invention the napkinholder consists, primarily, of a back plate A, which may be given any desired shape. The said plate, however, is usually made somewhat segmental in general contour, and at the front of the back plate A a clamping-plate B is located, which clamping-plate is arched or bowed transversely, and is ordinarily of even length with the back plate, but somewhat narrower. The side portions of the clampingplate are ordinarily made to follow the shape of the sides of the back plate, but the bottom portion of the clamping-plate is more or less flattened, as shown in Fig. 1.

The back plate at its center has a rearwardly-extending hook 10, formed thereon, and the rear member of the said hook is usually provided with a slot 10 to receive a collar button or stud, or a button of any description located on the garment of the wearer.

At the upper edge of the back plate a knuckle 11 is located at each side of its center, the said knuckle extending over and beyond the front face of the aforesaid back plate, and through the medium of these knuckles 11 the clamping-plate B is hinged to the back plate.

At or near the central portion of the clamping-plate a lip 13 is formed, adapted to be grasped by the fingers or the nails of the fingers when the said clamping-plate is to be raised upward or opened from the back plate. At the upper central portion of the clampingplate a lug 14; is formed, which lug extends rearwardly and into the vertical slot 15, made in the shank portion of the hook 10. A spring 16 is secured to the rear face of the back plate A, and this spring is carried upward through the slot 15 in the shank of the hook to an engagement with the lug or tongue 1 L of the clamping-plate, and thence through the slot 15 to an engagement with the outer face of the shankportion of the hook.

In operation, in order to introduce a nap kin B into the napkin-holder, the clampingplate is raised upward until it is at an angle to the back plate, at which time the tongue 14: of the clamping-plate will so bow the spring 16 that the said spring will hold the said clamping-plate in its upper position. The napkin having been introduced,the clampingplate is then dropped downward to an engagement with the back plate, and the spring 16 will hold the napkin firmly between the two plates. The inner faces of these plates may be roughened, if in practice it is found desirable, and the holder may be made from any suitable material. Then the napkin is not in use, it may be rolled up, as shown-in Fig. 3, and placed between the two plates.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters shank of the hook to an engagement with the said spring, substantially as shown and described.

2. A napkin-holder consisting of a back plate having a hook formed at one edge, the shank of the said hook being provided with an opening, and a sprin g attached to the body portion of the back plate, carried forwardly through an opening in the shank of the hook, and a transverselyarched clamping-plate having a hinged connection with the back plate at each side of the hook, and a tongue extending through an opening in the shank of the hook to an engagement with the said spring, the clamping-plate being of less Width than the back plate, and provided with a finger-hole at a point near its lower edge, as and for the purpose set forth.

NICHOLAS F. CLARKSON. \Vitnesses:

J. FRED. AOKER, J NO. M. BITTER. 

